Rectifier



Mar. 3. 1925.

|. B. HARRIS ET AL RECTIFIER Filed March 24, 1922 fiwm was 5. M025 5. #0075 Patented Mar. 3, 1925. I 1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRVING B. HARRIS, EDGAR B. HARRIS, AND WILLIAM L. HARRIS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

RECTIFIER.

Application filed larch 24, 1922. Serial No. 548,285.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we. IRVING B. HARRIS, EDGAR B. HARRIS, and WILLIAM L. HARRIS, citizens of the United States, residing at 6 Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rectifiers; and

we do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to rectifiers consisting of an enclosing bulb with a cathode and an anode.

' The invention generically conforms to conventional design except that we have provided a rectifier in which there are a plurality of cathodes, each adapted to be 1ndependently energized to pass current so that in the event that one cathode becomes inefiective for any reason, a substitute cathode can be brought into play, thereby I rendering the device immediately operative without the necessity of substituting a new rectifier bulb or without the necessity of repairs or renewals.

The device embodying our invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view showing a contact cap arranged for energizing one of the cathode filaments.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the contact cap removed so that another cathode filament may be energized, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the complete rectifier.

The rectifier is shown as consisting of a base 1 comprising a tubular member having a porcelain 2 at one end thereof and a sleeve portion 3 at the other end. The sleeve portion surrounds the cathode mounting 4 which may consist of ahollow glass support, welded to'the globe or bulb 5 of the rectifier, it being understood that the lead-in wires and the cathodes are usually assembled in the support 3 and after the anode wire 6 is fastened through the end 7 of the bulb 5, the bulb and the cathode support 3 are fastened together.

The cathode filaments 8 and 9 are supported upon the ends of the members 10 and 11 and the intermediate member 12, the

intermediate member being forked at 13 so that it can support one end of each cathode filament 8 and 9'. The member 11 is connected to a conductor wire 14, which passes through a tube 15 in the porcelain 2 and through an insulated bushing 16 in the metallic collar 17. The end of the conductor 14 is provided with a contact 18, which may contact with art of the switch in the socket in which the base 1 is adapted to besecured. This contact 18, however, is normally insulated by a ca 19, having an insulating disk 20 within t e same adapted to normally bear against the contact 18, the 'cap having threaded connection with the collar 17, as shown at 21.

The flange 22 of the collar 17 is connected to a conductor 23 which, in turn, is connected to the member 10 and the member 12 is connected to the metallic portion of the base 1 by a conductor 24, one end of which is fastenedto the member 12 and the other end to a base connection 25.

The lead wire 6 carries an anode 26 of usual construction in juxtaposition to the cathodes, being spaced away therefrom obviously to form a gap space 27.

When the parts are all assembled as shown in Fig. 1 with the cap 19 screwed in place, the device is ready to be inserted into the socket, it being understood, of course, that the anode is connected to the storage battery by a suitable conductor which may be c amped onto the projecting end 28 of the anode lead in the usual manner and it is to be remembered that the base can be secured to the member 3 by cement 29, in the usual manner, and that a packing 30 may be introduced into the hollow portion of the member 3 in the usual way.

When the base is screwed into the socket, the storage battery, or other device in electrical connection with the lead 28, the heating current will pass through the members 23 and 24 because the cap 19 will contact with the switch in the socket and current can pass through it, through the collar 17, through conductor 23, through the member 10, through filament 8, through member 12 and through conductor 24.

Suppose, though, that the filament 8 burns out or becomes disrupted or otherwise unfit for use, then the cap 19 can be removed and B I. I. v 1,028,054

' the base screwed back into the socket. Then the contact 18 will bear against the switch contact in the socket and current can pass through 14, through 11, through filament 9,

through 12, through 24 and outthrough base connection 25..

Therefore, it will be apparent that when the ca is in place, the filament 8 willbe energize provided current is passing through the rectifier, but when the cap is removed, current will be passing through 14', 11, 9, 12, 24; and 25. Onefilarnent will always be un energized when the other is energized. so we have, in effect, provided a self-contained renewal :in a rectifier which will add materially to the length of time that the device center of the anode. This construction makes the assembly a matter of convenience and can be used because when one filament burns out, it will only be necessary to take ofl' the cap and re-introduce the base into the socket, whereupon the other filament immediately becomes effective to cause the rectifier to function in the usual way.

The cathodes are shown as being in alignment and on opposite sides of thetransverse provides an-inde endent gap surface on the anode for each e ectrode.

The'device is capable of bein easily constructed wherever there are acilitie"s for making bulb typesiof rectifiers with socketreceiving baseswand, indeed, the device can [be easily and inexpensively constructed cathodes, one of which extends centrally through the base, and a removable insulating cap normally fitting over the central portion of the base to insulate the wire passing therethrough.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures. I a

' IRVING 'BQHARRIS.

WILLIAM L. HARRIS. KEDGARB. HARRIS. 

